Pumping system



1,626,250 Apu! 26 19? V.1. oLlPHAN-r i PUMPING SYSTEM Filed Mayv 8, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1" Illll-llllllllllln Ap'ril 26, 1927.

J. OLIPHANT PUMPING SYSTEM Filed May 8, 1922 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ITLU 7277 a02/7L] 7 'by da f (bm ng.

l 'f tended destination.

Patented Apr. 26, 192'?.

i rara Transats JOHN OLIPHANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SULLIVAN MACHINERY COM- PANY, A CORPORATION F MASSACHUSETTS.

PUMPING SYSTEM.

Application led May 8, 1922. Serial 110. $559,395.

My invention relates to pumping systems, and more particularly to pumping systems of the displacement type. i

An object of my invention is to provide an improved pumping system. Another object of my invention is to provide an improved pumping system of the displacement.

type. A further object of my linvention is to provide an improved pumping system of lo the multiple unit displacement type having improved controlling mechanism. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the course of the following specification and appended'claims. l

shown for purposes of illust-ration one form which my invention may assume in practicel In these drawings-'- Fig. l is a. diagrammatic plan view of a pumping system employing the illustrative form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through one of the control valves and the operating mechanism therefor.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of one form of controlling mechanism which maybe employed with my pumping mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view likewise in elevation of the same mechanism, the view showing the parts as if the entire mechanism were turned bodily about a vertical aXis through 90 degrees.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in elevationin Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the broken line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7--7 of Fig. 4.

For purposes of illustration I have shown my improved pumping system in a form adapt-ed tothe raising of relatively large i quantitiesl of cement slurry or other liquid material from a lower level to a considerably higher level by the use of relatively low air pressures. For the urpose of pumping this materiaL-I employ erein a series of three batteries of displacement pumps. Themat-erialfis pumped by these pumps, which will be later more fully described, from a tank A '30 by means of a pumping unit B to a tank C; thence by a pumping' unit D toa tank E and finally by a pumping unit .F.to its in- It will be evident that a greaterl or smaller number of pumping 5" units B, D and F, might be used if desired.

ln the accompanying drawings l have It will also be evidentithat 'it is unnecessary that the elevation of the several tanks successively increase as circumstances such' as distance, viscosity of the fluid pumped, or other conditions may render it desirable to employ a series of pumps such asisshown herein. As all these units are similar, it will be' suiicient to describe the unit B.'

This unit comprises a pair of displacement tanks 1 and 2 connected respectively by check valved connections 3 and 4 With the tank A and discharging to a line 5 respeci tively through check valved connections and 7. Pumping fluid, herein compressed air, is applied alternately to the tops of'these tanks by 'way of lines 9 and 10, one of these lines operating for the supply of the pump-- ing fluid, while the other is vented or, as shown herein, is connected to the suction side of the compressor supplying the pumpling fluid. A valve mechanism i generally designated ll'and comprising a casing 12 in which al` four-way valve 13 is oscillatablel controls the connection with the lines 9 and 10 of `a line 14 which leads to a connection 15 leading in turn to a receiver 16 which is supplied' with air by a compressor 17. This valve 13 also controls the connection of the lines 9 and 10 with a connection 18 which leads to a line 19 connecting with the suctiene side of the compressor 17, a valve 20l of well known form serving to supply further air to the compressor intake as may be nec-l essary to keep the system filled. The valve 13 and the ports in the casing 12 are so arf ranged as to interconnect the tanks through lines 9 and 10 as the valveshifts, thereby transferring air from one tank to the other.

It will be noted that'the lines 15 Aand 19 have branches 14 and 18 leading to each of the several pumping systems. For the purpose of controlling the'movements of thevalves 13, I arrange servo motor-cylindersline 15 and rwith a connection 32 leading to- 11 and the valve casing 29 the opposite ends l by a rod 6() of the cylinder 21 are momentarily interconnected as the valve shifts.` Since each of the pistons 22 is similarly connected t0 its valve 13, it will be apparent that each of the pumping systems B. D andrF is simultaneously similarly controlled.

With the foregoing mechanism, as a unitary controller I employ a control Amechanism which is the invention of one David H. Hunter and which serves to automatically reverse lthe position of the valve at suitable` intervals. This mechanism which is generally designated comprises a pair of cylinders 51 and 52 of which the cylinder 51 is an operating cylinder and the cyll' inder 52 is a dashpot cylinder. lVithin the cylinder 51 is reciprocable a piston 53 to whose upper end is attached an L-shaped crosshead 54'and which carries above the crosshead a weight 55. Air may be supplied to the cylinder 51 by way of a port 56 from a pipe 57 controlled by an ordinary three-way valve 58, hereinafter referred to more inA detail. Within the cylinder 52'is reciprocable a dashpot'piston 59 connected with the crosshead 54 whereby the dashpot piston 59 and the actuating pis ton 53y move simultaneously, the rate of movement of the actuating piston 53 being governedby the rate of possible movement of the dashpot piston 59. To control the movements of the dashpot piston 59 there is arranged in the wall of the cylinder 52 a longitudinally extending port 61 which communicates with the interiorof the. cylinder by four ports, one arranged near the upper end of 'the cylinder and designated 62. one arranged substantially at the bottom and designated 63, and a pair near the middle of the cylinder separated by a short distance longitudinallyl of the cylinder, and respectively designated 64 and 65. An adjustable throttling screw 66 is -arranged in the portion of the passage 61\whch lies between the ports 64 and 6 5.. It will be evident that'the piston 59 may move rapidly on itsupward travel until the port 65 is covered and must then move slowly as the liquid, herein oil, contained in the dashpot must be forced through the port 64 and around past the throttling screw 66 and through the port 65 until after the port 64 is passed and uncovered by theI bottom ofthe piston and that thereafter the piston 59 may move rapidly, simply bypassing the oil through 'the port 62, passage 61, and port 64. It will be evident that also on the downward movement of the piston 59 it will move rapidly adjacent each end of its travel and` be retarded at the middle of its travel. The three-.way valve 58 previously referred to is adapted to cont-rol the communication of a connection 67 leading from the compressor, herein from believed necessary, the ordinary T port,

three-way valve bemgentirely satisfactory for this function. To control the movements of the valve 5S I have attached thereto an operating lever or arm 68 having oppositely extending arms, to one of which arms a spring 69 is attached, and the other of which is adapted to engage stops 70 and 71 formed on guides 72 and 73 in which an actuating rod 74 slides.l To the rod 74 the spring 69 is attached at 75. The, rod 74 is provided with adjustable collars or abutments 76 and 77 which are alternately engageable b v ythe crosshead 54, through a hole i'n which the rod passes. It will be observed that as the rod 74 is raised to its upper posil tion, the free end of the spring will pass above the longitudinal axis ofthe armA 68 and that accordingly the valve 58 will be sharply reversed from the position shown in Fig. 4 to a position in which the supply of fluid to the port 56 will be cut off and the cylinder 51 vented. It will be noted that a similar mode of operation will occur upon the downward movement of therod 74 and that accordingly the valve 58 has its position rapidly changed and that only at the ends of the pathsof travel of the cross-head 54.- It will be noted that the valve 30 is provided with an operating arm 78 to which is provided an actuatingrod 79 having collars 8O and 81 secured thereto and that the crosshead 54 also engages these collars by reason of the factv that the rod 79 passes through an opening in the crosshead 54.

The mode of operation of this mechanism will be readily apparent. Assume the conllO trol valve 58 to be -in the position shown.

Fluid under pressure passing from the. line reaaaeo in the downward movement of the piston 53 under the action of gravity due to its own weight and the weight 55, and the crosshead 54 near the lower end of its movement will shift the valve 30 in the opposite direction Now, it being/understood that the controlvalve mechanism is arranged so that its period between shiftings of the valve 30 is such as to substantially empty thetanks 1 0r 2 of the several displacement units B, D and I, the mode of operation of the entire system will be readily apparent. Assume that the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1

and 2. It will be evident that the several 11p-. per tanks, i. e. those sh'own ltoward the top of the sheet and designated l will be emptying while the other tanks will be filling, i. e. the tanks 2, since the tanks 1 are being subjected to pressure from the line 15 and the tanks 2 are being connected with the reduced pressure by way of the line 19. Upon shifting of the valve 30, it will be evident that the line 27 will no longer beconnected to the line 15 by way of line 31 and that the line 28 will no longer be connected with the line 32 and so to the suction side ofthe compresser, but that these connections will be reversed and, by reason of the supply of pressure to the right hand sides of the pistons 22, while the pressure at the opposite ends of the cylinders is reduced, the valves 13 will be shifted and each of the displacement pumping units B, D and F will begin to discharge the tanks 2, while the tanks 1 are subjected to .a suction andy thereby enabled to fill rapidly. It will be clear that my pilot valve mechanism 30 controls a. series of several motors simultaneously and that as a result a number of displacement units'can be similarly controlled. It will accordingly be `evident that I have provided a much more economical system thanrwould be possible were separate pilot valve controls used for4 each of the valves emplo ed for switching the flowI to the tanks an it will `be further vevident that a more -uniformly working lsystem is also provided, Whereas, with separate controls each wholly independent of the othersz there would be great difliculty in maintaining anything like a uniform transfer of material along the system. It is to be observed, moreover, that by the use of relatively short connections of approximately uniform length between the various pumping units of the main discharge Y lines therel 1s more uniform Working than were Huid admitted directly to a pair of long lines which were alternatively vented .and connected to the discharge side of a compressor.

, Any surplus of air compressed by the compressor 17 and not needed in the system may be conducted from the receiver 16 by way of a line throu h a check valve 91 to a receiver 92 therein to supplement the supply from a compressor 93 and to beused for any purpose which may arise.

While I have inthis application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended. claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a displacement pumping system, a plurality of displacement pumping units each comprising at least two displacement tanks, means for-supplying and exhausting fluid to said tanks including separate control valves for each ot said units, separate servo-motors each controlling one of' said controlling valves, and a common pilot valve for controlling said several servo motors.

2. In a pumping system, a displacement tank, a connection with said tank for the supply of pumping luid thereto, a valve controlling said connection, vfluid operated means for actuating said valve, and fluid operated means controlling the flow of fluid to said valve operating means separatelyoperated by fluid from the same source as that supplied to said tank.

3. In a pumping system, a plurality of displacement tanks, connections with said tanks for the -supply of pumping fluid thereto, a separate valve for controlling each ot' said connections, a separate fluid operated device for actuating each ot' said valves, and a common fluid operated device 4controlling the flow of fluid to said valve operating devices and operated `by fluid from the same source as that supplied to said tank.

4. In a pumpin system, a displacement tank, connections etween saidA tank and a source of liquid to be pumped and a point u of discharge, a connectionwith said tank for the supply'of pumping fluid and the eir-y haust thereof, a valve controlling said last mentioned connection, and means controlling said valve operated by the fluid from the same source las'that supplied to said tank but wholly independent in its operation of pressure varia-tions in said tank and the fluid flowing to the latter being inoperative to effect any control of said valve.

5. In a displacement pumping system, a displacement tank,'a pumping fluid upply line, a suction line, a connection wit said tank, a valve controlling the communication of said connection with said supply and suction lines, a servo motor controlling the movements of said valve, and means for subjecting said servo motor to the pressures in said supply and suction lines including a valve whose movementsare independent of the fluid conditions in said connection.

6. ln a displacement pumping system, a displacement tank, a pumping fluid supply line, a suction line, a connection with said tank, a valve controlling the communication Vot' said connection with said supply and suction lines, a servo motor controlling the movements of said valve, and automatic means for alternately connecting the opposite ends of said servo motor to said supply and suction lines and wholly independent 1n its operation of the fluid condition in said connection.

7. In a displacement pumping system, a displacement tank, a. pumping fluid supply line, a suction line, a connection with said tank, a valve controlling the communication of said connection with said supply and suction lines, a servo motor controllingv the movements ofl said valve, andvautomatic means .for alternately connecting the oppo. site ends of saidservo motor to said supply and suction llnes and intermediately 1n communication With each other.

8. In a multiple displacement lift, a plurality of serially arranged sets of alternately operating pumps, valve'nieans for connecting said pumps ofeach series alternately to pumping fluid supply and exhaust, servo motors eachpcontrolling one of said valves, and a single means Jfor simultaneously controlling said servo motors.

9. In a multiple displacement lift, a plurality of serially arranged sets of alternately operating pumps, valve means for connecting said pumps ot' each series alternately to pumping fluid" sup'ly and exhaust, servo motors each control ing one of said valves, and common means for simultaneously controlling said servo motors by alternately connecting homologous ends thereof to sup- `ply and exhaust.

10. In a displacement pumping system, a plurality ot displacement pumping units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said units, connections between each of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, valve means controlling the communication between said connections and said units, and common means for controlling the operation of said several'valve means.

' 11. In a displacement pumping system, a plurality of displacement pumping units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said units, connections -between each of said units and said preslmes, valve means controlsure and exhaust ling the communication between said connections and said units, servo-motors one associated with each of said valve means, and common means for controlling the operation of said servo-motors and soV of said several valve means.

12. Iny a displacement pumping system, a plurality of displacement pumping'units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said units, connections between each of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, valve means controlling the communication between said connections and said units, and means for controlling the operation ot said several valve means including servo-motors one associated with each of said valve means. and means for connecting the opposite ends of each of said servo-motors alternately to supply and exhaust and, during changes in connection, t0 each other.

13. In a displacement pumping system, a plurality' of displacement pumping units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said unit-s, connections between each of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, valve means controlling the communication between said connections and said units, and means for controlling the operation of said several valve means including servo-motors one associated With each of said valve means, and a single valve for connecting the opposite ends of each of said servo-motors alternately to supply and exhaust and, during changes 1n connection,

to each other.

14. ln a displacement pumping system. a plurality of displacement pumping units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said units, connections between each of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, each ot saideunits including a pair ot displacement tanks. valve means associated with each of said units for establishing alternate communications between each of said tanks and the connections to the supply and exhaust lines and inter' mediately, connections with each other, and meansv for effecting simultaneous shifting of all of said valves. ,p

15. ln a displacement pumping system, a plurality of displacement pumping units, pressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each ot said units, connections between each 'of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, each of said units including a pair of displacementtanks; valve` means associated with each of said units for establishing alternate communications' between each of said tanks and the connections to the supply and exhaust lines and, intermediately, connections with each other, and means for effecting simultaneous shifting of all oi said valves including servo-motors associated one with each of said valves.

16. In a displacement(pumpingsystem, a plurality of displacement pumping units,

. lpressure and exhaust lines extending into contiguity to each of said units, connections between each of said units and said pressure and exhaust lines, each of said units in-` cluding a pairvof displacement tanks, valve means associated with each of said units for 2 0 pressure and exhaust lines extending vinto establishing alternate communications Vloetween each of said tanks and the connections to the supply and exhaust lines and, intermediately, .connections with each' other,

means for effecting simultaneous shifting of contiguity to each of said units, connections y V between each of said units and said pressure Iand exhaust lines, each of said units including a pair of displacement tanks, valve means associated 'with each of said units for establishing alternate" communications be tween each of said tanks and the connections to the supply f and exhaust lines and, inter mediately, connections with each other, meansfor effecting simultaneous shifting of all of said Valves including servo-motors associated one with each of said valves, and

a common pilot valve controlling all of'said servo-motors and operative tointerconnect the opposite ends of 'said servo-motors between the connections thereof to pressure and exhaust.

ture.

JOI-IN OLIPHANT.

lIn testimony whereof'll 'ax my signa-i 

